


Into The Great Shipping Sea

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Ficlet Collections [5]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Affection, Angst, Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Multi, Public Display of Affection, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, chapters will specify which ships appear in them, rarepairs galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-02-07 11:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18619633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: A series of glances into the intimate, quiet moments of a number of characters and who they happen to love in that particular instant.





	1. In The Barracks (Vexando)

“Did you just hiss at me?”Morando leans forward, resting an arm on one of his knees.He and Vex are alone in the barracks, so they have the ability to be more relaxed with out an audience of subordinates.

“Are you judging me?The _mighty_ Varvatos Vex?”Vex leans back in his seat.

Morando finds the smirk on Vex’s face far too smug.“Perhaps the commander deserves a reprimand.”Morando stands and strides over to Vex.He moves his arm subtly so it causes his cape to billow out behind him while he looms over him.“For his attitude toward his superior officer.”

“My attitude is both GOOD and HONORABLE!”Vex shoves himself up, so he and Morando are facing each other, their chests mere centimeters apart.“Vex thinks _his_ officer should do better to appreciate such noble traits.”The way he says the words Morando recognizes as both a taunt and a flirtation.

“Oh, but I do,” Morando purrs.He reaches out and places a hand on Vex’s shoulder.“As I do your most intriguing quirk of referring to yourself in the third person.”

The blush would have been unperceptable to anyone who didn’t know Vex extremely well.He turns his head so Morando can’t see it regardless.“Vex knows it pleases his love.”

“Yes, yes it does.”


	2. Haunted House (Clairy)

“Did you hear that?”Claire looks all around, but finds no explanation for the creaking sound.They’re alone in the house.There’s no one else there to make noise.

“I’m telling you, I’m _haunted_.”Mary’s gaze stays steady on Claire.Not one glance toward her phone.This is serious, then.

“Hmm.Well, if there is a ghost here tonight, we’ll get ‘em.”Claire pulls yet another monitor out of her duffel bag.She didn’t pack the full array of equipment their little company had.She hadn’t really been expecting much (Mary did have a tendency to over-exaggerate) and, if she had, she’d need the boys with her to help run everything.Claire loved Jim and Toby.They were her best friends.They’d fight a demonic ghost king back to back with her, and _had_.

They’d also never pass up an opportunity to tease her relentlessly about ‘being on a date’ with ‘cute coffee shop girl’, despite the fact that investigating a potential haunting is definitely _not_ a date.Definitely.

Mary looks over Claire’s shoulder.“So…all this stuff is like legit right?I mean, I know you guys.You’re like the coolest patrons we have, but like this isn’t some roleplaying thing?Right?”Her brow furrows.

“Nope,” Claire reassures.“Our hometown was a weird place.When we were kids, we thought it would be cool if we started investigating.”She shrugs.“We never really turned back.”

Also when you had to deal with such things as a gravity jinx, a monstrous alter ego, and the knowledge your soul is technically bound forever to a sorceress, there was no real going back.Claire doesn’t say any of that, though.Despite technically not being on a date-date, she still wants to impress Mary (for reasons that aren’t ‘Mary is super cute’—or at least that what she kept telling herself).

“Ah, okay, cool.And what if…?”Mary bites her lower lip.“What if I knew there wasn’t a ghost here?”

“Well, we can’t be sure until I get some proper readings—”

“No!No, I mean I can definitely say I know there aren’t any ghosts here.”

“Why?”

“Cause I may, technically speaking—and don’t freak out, though I don’t think you’d freak out—”Mary puts her hands up in a defensive gesture.“See I _know_ there aren’t any ghosts…cause I’m a vampire.”She looks to the ground.“I didn’t ask you here to investigate.I just wanted to see how you’d react before I asked you on a date.”She glances at Claire.“Sooo…”

Claire grins.“So, I’d love to go out with you, Mary.”


	3. Queen of Cleverness (Jlairy)

“No more!”Jim lunges for the phone.Since Claire is overcome by the giggles, she’s absolutely no help whatsoever in helping him free them from the situation.It’s up to him to put a stop to this madness.

Mary jumps back, out of his reach.“Okay, _fine_.”She pouts pointedly at Jim.“I won’t send you any more selfies.”Regardless of her words, she holds up her phone and snaps a quick pic of him.

“Hey!”

“Never said I would stop taking pictures of _you_ , though!Ha!”Mary sticks out her tongue at Jim, who lunges again.“Better luck next time, Jimmy-jam.Cause I just defeated you with _word choice_.”

Claire finally gets control of her laughing, rolls her eyes, but still smiles.“You got to admit, Jim, that was clever.”

“Yeah, Jim, admit that I am the Queen of Cleverness!”

“If I do, will you finally sit down so we can eat?”Jim shoots Mary a pointed look.“I spent hours making everything.”

“I _knooow._ That’s why I wanted pictures of everything.”Mary plops down next to Claire and wraps an arm around her.“Can you believe this guy?He thinks I don’t appreciate all the great things he does.”She grabs Jim pulls him down into a hug with her other arm.“Well I do, you just gotta get used to how I show it.”

Jim sighs.“You take pictures of everything, Mary, so—”

“Correction.”Mary interrupts.“I take pictures of everything _important_.”She takes a quick one of Jim again.“Like you.”She pauses.“But, you do have a point, we should probably eat.Or make Claire laugh again.”

“How about eat and then make her laugh?”Jim offers.

“Agreed.”

“Hey, I’m right here!”

“And we love the sound of your laugh.”Mary passes out food.“So, once we’re done with this, we’re going to tell you all the jokes ever.”


	4. Popcorn (Blarrrghy)

“What do you have?”Blinky asks.He tossed food containers over his shoulder to Arrrgh! so quickly, he hadn’t actually paused to look at their labels. 

Arrrgh! doesn’t have it in himself to hold that (of all things) against Blinky.He absolutely loves it when Blinky gets excited.Sure, he can’t always _understand_ all the words that come out of Blinky’s mouth when he works himself up to such a state, but Arrrgh! loves the enthusiasm and the exuberance he can hear as the scholar speaks.

Realizing he’s taking too long and Blinky is regarding him with that knowing look he gets when he knows Arrrgh! has a lovesick expression on his face, Arrrgh! hastily glances down at the first container in his right hand.He reads and then says confidently, “pizza rolls.”He knows what those are.Toby made them once or twice for him before.They’re tasty, as are the boxes they come in. 

Arrrgh! puts the pizza rolls aside where they can easily grab them when they leave the pantry.He shifts focus to another container.“Cup o’…noodles?”That last word, he’s sure he messed up, but when Blinky goes to check him, he says he’s right.Arrrgh! can’t help but smile.

“Popcorn?Any packages of that?”Blinky asks.“It’s delightful.I should like you to try it tonight if we have any.”

Arrrgh! shakes his head.“No popcorn.”

“Oh.”Blinky’s shoulders slump.“I…”

“It okay.Will be human another night.Try popcorn then.”Arrrgh! wraps his arms around Blinky.They’re still big in human form, just not as big.He can’t hug as much, but he can still hug.

“Alright, but tonight, we dine like kings!Blinky yells.He glances at all the containers they put aside.“Just be sure not to eat the boxes.In this form, I can assure you, they certainly aren’t as tasty.”


	5. Courtship (Zadmura)

“The salad here is really good.”Zadra pokes at it with her fork.It’s decent at best, but she can’t take the silence that’s fallen between them anymore.She just can’t.If she’d known asking Nomura out on a date would have led to _this_ , maybe she wouldn’t have tried at all.

“Do I look like a fucking rabbit?”Nomura growls.Her face shows shock at the words, then regret, then pensive resignation.So, she’s as good at this ‘small talk’ thing as Zadra.Good to know.Not so good for the status of their date.

Zadra prods a limp leaf again.She sighs.“We’re the worst at this, aren’t we?”

“What?”

“Dating.Courting.Whatever term you call it on this planet.We’ve been here I don’t know how long—they don’t provide a time measurer I can easily read.I don’t know much about you.You don’t know much about me.I may not be familiar with this planet, but I’ve gathered there’s supposed to be a bit more to it than _this_.”Zadra leans back in her seat and folds her arms.“This is a waste of time.I’d be better off training,” she grumbles.

Nomura eyes her.“Your weapon, it’s a scythe?”

“Yes.”Zadra smirks.“A double one.I was the only one in my class to master it,” she says with no small amount of pride.

“I wield two blades myself.”Nomura leans forward on the table.“Interested in a match to see who’s better?”

“You truly wish to challenge _me_?”

“It will be a better date than this one.”

Zadra stands.“I can agree to that.”

Perhaps courting Nomura wouldn’t be a failure after all.Considering how skilled a fighter Zadra will soon learn she is, requesting a date becomes something she’s glad she did.


	6. Love (Jlaire)

“You love me, don’t you?”

The question comes in the dead of night.Jim wonders if he’s truly supposed to hear it.He has his back to Claire.There’s no way she could know if he were actually awake or not.

Silence reigns while Jim wonders.He can’t bear it.

“Yes, yes I do.”

Jim hears Claire gasp.He turns to face her.“I won’t ever _not_ love you,” he adds quietly.

Claire reaches out to him.“I know.I just.Sometimes, after everything, I forget.I wonder why anyone would love someone like me.”

“Maybe because you’re wonderful.”Jim pulls her in close.“You’re clever.”He strokes her cheek.“You’re _Claire_.”He kisses her.


	7. A Question (Strickbach)

There are not many moments of weakness for Walter Strickler, so, when they come, they tend to come randomly and without warning.

Otto grew accustom to this long before their more recent, more _intimate_ relationship.He’d spent considerable time learning Walter’s tells.Back then, it was a means of gaining the upper hand.Now, well, in a way, it was the same.Otto’s personal motivations, really, were what changed between then and now.

He’d never sought to control Walter before, no.An endeavor such as that would take considerable strategizing and had a low chance of success.Despite how it occasionally caused him grievances, Otto did admire Walter’s sharp mind.There was beauty, to be sure, in its cunning.

No, his goals back then had revolved around his own survival.It was a good plan to keep an eye on the likeliest suspect to see to it you met a quick, easily concealable end.Just in case.

Now, in the present, Otto could say, with relative certainty, that Walter was not a threat to his life.So, his reason for always gaining the upper hand was somewhat— _considerably—_ different.To be prepared, in moments like these, for a string of unexpected words.

_You love me, don’t you?_

They’d been reading in the library together.Each immersed in their own book.Walter had claimed the best armchair; Otto, the corner of the sofa nearest to him.They each rested their arms leisurely off the sides of their respective pieces of furniture.Their fingers close enough to barely graze each other.Of course, that led to a brief tussle where each tried to intertwine his fingers with the other, but, in a way that was clear _he himself_ were the dominate one.Otto had all but won when Walter made a hasty retreat and uttered the words Otto now found himself grappling with.

Of course, he didn’t _not_ love Walter.Otto would never have agreed to this arrangement if that were the case.He enjoyed his time with Walter.But.He was also _careful_.It was all well and good to admire the beauty of a panther.Right up until the moment the panther pounced and its jaws closed around one’s neck. 

Caution was a natural necessity.One Otto thought his partner understood.They were creating something new together, yes, but they were also _them_.They’d known each other for centuries.Carried daggers to stab the other in just the right places with for centuries.A few months of pleasurable folly could hardly erase all that from existence.

They had to be careful.Affection could exist, but they had to limit themselves in its expression.Just in case.There were rules of engagement, unspoken ones, that, regardless of circumstance, had to be upheld.

That though didn’t truly help Otto’s current situation, did it?Given, in a set of a few brief words softly uttered, Walter had broken the rules.Otto didn’t sense deceit from his partner.He knew the signs of _that._ They weren’t there.

Walter’s expression was genuine.His body language equally so.

He truly wanted to know.

Did Otto love him?


	8. Exile (Stuex)

“Look, Vex, I know this isn’t ideal, but you’ll settle in and then we can—”

“Varvatos Vex does not wish to talk about it.”Vex sits on his new bed with an audible thud.

“Okay, yeah, I can see that.So, maybe—”

“Varvatos Vex wishes to be alone.”

Stuart gives Vex one last sad look and then steps out of the room.He closes the door with a click.

Vex sighs.It hurts.Not physically.He hasn’t sustained an injury.Yet.In his heart.In his soul.It hurts.He knows he deserves this.The royal heirs’ fury at him is well-deserved.He is at fault for all the terrible things that happened at their coronation.He is to blame for their parents critical condition.This exile is what he deserved.He will have to adjust.Have to accept that they left to reclaim what they’d lost.Without him.Have to accept that they no longer want him.

There are many things Vex learned as a warrior.Rights and wrongs are high on that list.Punishments are next.Honor.Glory.What would happen if a soldier betrayed his loyalties.That Vex understood, perhaps more than most.He would not argue his fate for he knows it is the consequence of his own actions.

Yet.

There are other things that Vex is.Well, that he was once.He was a father once.His children were the most wonderful in the galaxy.Losing them…he had not been a vengeful person before that day of sorrows, but the ache had left a gaping hole.One he could not fill until he let the anger in.So, he had.

The thing is, something else eventually came along.Something other than anger to fill the hole.He is not Aja and Krel’s family.He never will be.They are royalty.He is a soldier.The differences between those two designations in Akiridion society is vast.Yet, on Earth, for the briefest of times, Vex felt like he was part of something like that again.He felt like he was cared about.Loved.

Losing that was worse, far worse than losing his ability to return home.

Stuart returns with a thick blanket, which he attempts to wrap around Vex.It’s not enough to fit around his shoulders, but Vex appreciates the gesture regardless.

He wishes it is enough to make the new gaping hole in him go away, but it isn’t.Not yet.


	9. Sick Day (Strickbach)

There is a certain feeling that comes when your nose is stuffed up to the point of aching, your head throbs with each thought, and your horns are an unbearable weight pressing down on your skull.It is not a particularly good feeling.

Changelings don’t fall ill all too often.Usually one can go a century or three between colds.However, that just has the tendency of meaning, when one does get sick, it’s likely that it’ll be more than a minor cold that can easily be brushed off.

There are theories that get whispered around every now and then about their colds.That changelings are more susceptible to illness since they _don’t_ have to deal with it as frequently as the humans.There are certain illnesses that are _specific_ to them.They seldom share symptoms with humans.Those of their kind who are doctors have long since figured that out.So, it makes sense.

They wonder, but never dare say, if this is their Lady Creator’s way of reminding them of their mortality despite their longevity.

“I have your soup!”The cheerful, accented voice interrupts Walter’s internal train of thought.He shifts his head and watches as Otto enters the room.

Otto places a tray with a bowl of steaming broth down on the nightstand.“How are you feeling?”He asks, his brows furrowed.

Walter shrugs, and then coughs and sneezes in rapid succession.He groans, and then glares up at the ceiling.

“Ah, I see.Bad enough that you have no witty comeback.Hmm, well, that being the case, I have just the remedy.”Otto hustles out of the room, but soon returns.He brings with him a book.He grins at Walter.“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Few pieces of changeling culture exist.It is their lot in life to be between worlds without belonging.However, that doesn’t mean there are _none_.Unhappy youth in the Darklands led to a need for distraction, which led to the creation of fictitious stories to pass the time, which led to the storybooks.

Only a few exist on the surface, and those that do are well-hidden and guarded.So, it’s a rare treat that while Walter is sick, Otto gives him the oldest changeling comfort known to exist.The reading of a story passed down from changeling to changeling in hopes it can make the next who hears it feel a little better.


	10. Show Time (Stuex)

“Okay, Stuey, you can do this.You can _definitely_ do this.You worked hard to get this job.You are a professional.A _professional_.”

Stuart’s reflection doesn’t appear to believe his reassurances.Stuart doesn’t blame him.Not really.

It isn’t the new show, that’s for sure.This isn’t his debut.That was a comedy, _Diablo Maximus,_ about a guy, his dog, and a taco truck.A good show, a fun show, great for the whole family.Lasted for six seasons with stellar ratings all the way through.Officially launched his career in television too.The thought of it makes Stuart smile.

But, this isn’t that show.

This is the sequel to _Mistrial and Error,_ one of the most well known TV shows to ever exist.Stuart spent weeks dealing with his anxiety over being in it.But.He knows he’s ready.He can handle whatever the job throws at him.No problemo.He’s a perfect fit for his character (good-natured, funny, optimistic).The showrunner is absolutely eager to have him onboard.Stuart is more than excited to start shooting.There’d been a spring in his step when he walked onto the soundstage for the first time.

That lasted right up until he found out who his costar would be.

The older, by-the-books detective who’d be partner to Stuart’s hip, young revolutionary would be played by none other than the great _Varvatos Vex._

Though only a couple years older than Stuart, Vex is already well on his way to fame.He was the breakout star of _Brotherhood of Doom_ , a series about a vengeful soldier-for-hire who turns against his country to seek out and destroy the bounty hunters responsible for murdering his family.Vex had played a few other roles since _Brotherhood_ had wrapped up in a massive, _epic_ finally too.He brought his large personality and booming voice to each and every one of them.Each cementing his reputation.Vex is going places.Big places.

He’s also the single most handsome person to ever exist, in Stuart’s opinion at least.

Yes, Stuart would admit to having a bit of a crush.Who doesn’t?Who wouldn’t?Varvatos Vex is a beautiful man.A great actor.Stuart had heard nothing but good things when it came to Vex.Vex is nice, easy to work with.They’d get along fabulously. _Fabulously._

Maybe they’d even get along so well that Vex would ask Stuart out, or Stuart would ask him out.Who knows?Maybe he’d get the courage.That would be _fantastic._ Though, also terrifying.Just a little.

Stuart takes a breath.It’s showtime.


	11. Keep You Safe (Kreli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krel and Eli flee authorities who're after Krel

“I’ll keep you safe.”Eli grabs Krel’s hand in his own and squeezes.

Both boys duck when a floodlight washes over the trees they are hiding in the shadows of.The sirens are still far off, but that distance is closing fast.

Krel swallows thickly.He hates this.He hates this so freaking much.This is all his fault.They’re after _him_.Sure, they shouldn’t be.He’s done nothing wrong.But trying to convince _them_ at that has been more than futile.

When the floodlight moves on, Eli leads Krel deeper into the woods.“My aunts had an old cabin.I don’t think anyone knows about it.We can stay there for a while.”

“Eli,” Krel whispers to get his attention.“You don’t have to do this.You can go home.They won’t hurt you.”

The expression on Eli’s face when he turns back to face Krel is more serious than Krel has ever seen him.“Yeah, I _do_.It’s because of _me_ that they’re after you.If I hadn’t gone sticking my nose in your business, they never would have known you existed.”He takes a sharp breath.“I can’t go back and change that or stop my past self from being a buttsnack, but I can act now.I am going to keep you safe, Krel Tarron, no matter the cost.”

“Eli—”

“No arguments.Now, come on.”


End file.
